How Much Should You Tip?

Let me begin here by saying that I hate tipping. Having lived 10 years in Japan where there is absolutely no tipping for anything, every time I come back to the US I cringe at the thought of having to figure out how much I should tip and who I should tip.

I could take the approach of one of my friends that simply refuses to tip. She takes the philosophy that you are paying for the service and that is all you need to pay (note: she was a waitress for a long time). I know, however, that many industries underpay their staff with the knowledge that tips should make up for that so I’m not sure that refusing to tip is a solution that I want to take.

Doing a bit of research on tipping came up with some interesting numbers. A recent survey from PayScale.com, not surprisingly, shows that waiters and waitresses earn more than half their income from tips. You may be surprised, however, at how much tips account for a variety of professions:

Tips account for about 81% of a casino dealer’s income and on average will boost it from $7.55 an hour to $40.20 an hour.

Tips account for about 67% of a manicurist’s income and on average will boost it from $11.70 an hour to $32.70 an hour.

Tips account for about 52% of a hotel room service clerk’s income and on average will boost it from $5.48 an hour to $11.91 an hour.

Tips account for about 45% of a bellhop’s income and on average will boost it from $9.13 an hour to $16.83 an hour.

Tips account for about 43% of a hotel desk staff’s income and on average will boost it from $14.87 an hour to $22.44 an hour.

Tips account for about 42% of a hair stylist’s income and on average will boost it from $13.95 an hour to $24.00 an hour. (hair stylists also have the opportunity to earn more with commissions on sales)

Tips account for about 41.5% of a rabbi’s income and on average will boost it from $43.27 an hour to $74.00 an hour.

Tips account for about 37% of a bellhop supervisor’s income and on average will boost it from $8.50 an hour to $13.50 an hour.

Tips account for about 31% of a chauffeur’s income and on average will boost it from $11.47 an hour to $16.78 an hour.

Tips account for about 23% of a ministry pastor’s income and on average will boost it from $21.62 an hour to $28.18 an hour.

Tips account for about 22% of a esthetician’s income and on average will boost it from $15.00 an hour to $19.25 an hour.

Tips account for about 21% of a barber’s income and on average will boost it from $12.95 an hour to $16.50 an hour.

Tips account for about 21% of a Barista’s income and on average will boost it from $8.12 an hour to $10.35 an hour.

Tips account for about 19% of a massage therapist’s income and on average will boost it from $33.00 an hour to $41.00 an hour.

Tips account for about 16% of a baby sitter’s income and on average will boost it from $6.52 an hour to $7.77 an hour.

Tips account for about 16% of a casino change booth cashier’s income and on average will boost it from $12.31 an hour to $14.73 an hour.

Tips account for about 10% of a dog groomer’s income and on average will boost it from $11.73 an hour to $13.15 an hour.

Tips account for about 5% of a nanny’s income and on average will boost it from $10.54 an hour to $11.09 an hour.

Knowing that these workers in the service industry rely a great deal on their tips for their income, the question still is how much should you actually tip? While ultimately you have to use your own judgement, this is what PayScale recommends:

Nannies, Babysitters, Maids, Yard Workers, etc

Consider giving the pay for one week, day or evening of work or simply give an extra generous tip. For live-in help, a month’s pay plus a small gift is appropriate

Barbers, Hairstylists, Massage therapists, etc

Consider giving the cost of one service or simply tipping a little more around the holidays.

Teachers, Sports Coaches, Nursing Home Employees etc

Small gifts like cookies, candles and decorative soap can go a long way and anything too impressive might be misunderstood as a bribe. A great gift for a teacher is a gift card for buying classroom supplies.

Letter Carrier, Garbage Collector, Package Deliverer, etc

Depending on how frequently you use a service, choosing a number between $10 and $30 that feels right is always a safe bet.

Casino Dealers, Hotel Staff, Luxury Cruise Staff, Valet Parking, etc

For parking and services, anywhere from $5 to $20 can be appropriate based on the environment. For betting, place a bet for the dealer about once an hour and let them “ride your coattails.” You’ll also want to give the casino cashier a percentage of your winnings.

Religious Leaders

Known as an honorarium rather than a tip, there is no specific range set as to how you should give gifts to religious leaders. You might want to find out if there are specific expectations in your congregation, ask others what they’re giving or just give what feels right to you. You can also give donations to a favorite organization or charity in place of cash.

As with most things concerning money, it’s best to come up with a system you feel comfortable with well before the situation arises. If you don’t have a plan ahead of time, you will likely end up giving more or less than you intended due to having to make a decision at the spur of the moment. Having a plan also will mean you won’t be second guessing about the tip you made hours after it was given.

While I truly wish the US would adopt a Japanese style system where tips are included in all service rendered, it isn’t going to happen. I guess that means I need to start laying out my tipping strategy. Anyone have one I can borrow?

138 thoughts on “How Much Should You Tip?”

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I don’t mind tipping when I get good service. it does piss me off to some degree that restaurant owners expect their patrons to pay their payroll. I think everyone needs to understand that of course the figures stated in the article are far from exact…how many people who regularly receive tips actually report ALL of them?? Secondly, even if a server’s hourly wage is only $3.00, IF her tips do not equal at least minimum wage, her employer is required by law to make sure she earns at least minimum wage. If you consider she most likely is not reporting ALL her tips, one must assume she is earning an adequate pay or she wouldn’t be working there. I refuse to pay automatic gratuities. If an establishment practices that policy, I choose not to go there. My biggest pet peeve with tipping though is pooled tips! Why should my exceptional, friendly server have to split her tips with the witch on the other side of the restaurant with a chip on her shoulder?

In six years of employment as a waitress in a fine dining establishment I have never received a pay raise (except for when they changed the law) and neither have any other waitresses there. We make $3.43 an hour. The rest of our wages rely totally on tips. There are several servers there who are single mothers relying soley on tips to raise their families . We are pretty lucky having a higher class clientele that on average tips 20%. But my heart goes out to those working at restaurants where it is acceptable to tip 10% or less. Also, if you receive crappy service it is better to leave a poor tip and comment card. Often times when a customer leaves no tip at all the waitress assumes it was an honest mistake. Please, Please consider the situation of those receiving the tips before tipping – remember that may be their main source of income.

While visiting in the Napa Valley recently my husband and I used our debit cards to pay for meals. We always leave our tips on the table, but several of the restraunts decided to take the tip out of our debit card even though we had crossed it out. We called them on it and explained we always leave the tip on the table, if we hadn’t looked at our bill we would have double tipped. I’m sure the waitress/waiter would never have said anything different. Watch your bill when paying by debit/credit card.

I worked at a bar/eatery where the owner took a cut of the tips as well. Technically “working”, yet doing the bare minimum to contribute to our pooled tips. Even admitting that customers don’t tip him because they know he is the owner. And he gets a paycheck for $16/hr while he pays his workers $4-$7 an hour.

It is unbelievable how people neglect the overwhelming point here…I was a server for thirteen years before I became a successful business owner…the job not only provided me with the OPPORTUNITY to EARN tips, but also connect with people who could help me in certain aspects of life…lets say a mechanic comes in and I give him great service, he provides me with a tip, guess where I ended up getting my brake realignment? At his shop…If you dont have the money to spend when you go out, please, stay home..and if you refuse to leave a tip, let your server know so they can give you the minimum service necessary in order to focus on guests who truly care about their well being….can you believe in my thirteen years I treated every guest the same…never expected tips but funny how a lil humilaty goes a long way…and by the way..black people tip for the jerk who insinuates that they dont….

I personally believe the income figures listed here are HIGHLY generalized across the U.S. and not be considered as what every industry actually pays their employees. As a customer/tipper one should keep in mind that what IS true is that employers don’t pay their employees what they really deserve for providing a service to others. I always leave a tip of AT LEAST 12% (delivery drivers)-20% (excellent personalized service). Keep in mind that the idea of wanting to prove a point to a service provider by leaving no tip or a bad tip MAY not actually be their fault and if you really want to make a point, you should confront them directly with the issue or the management in order to correct the problem. In case you don’t know how to calculate a tip or don’t want to figure it out, you can at least figure on doubling the tax from you bill and depending the level of service provided to you, add or subtract $1 or $2.

On a more personal note, I am a Massage Therapist who does not receive the listed $33/hr here (a lot less) and more so most of us only get paid when we have an appt and not at all when we are waiting for one. When I receive a massage (even before I became a therapist) I would AT LEAST leave 15-20% (as long as I actually received a massage and whether it was to MY personal liking). In my opinion, a massage is a VERY personal service where somebody is helping you through the power of touch on a physical and emotional level which goes way further than somebody parking your car or serving/delivering your food (though I have had some great servers)…again, my personal opinion.

Tipping puts you in a bad predicament. No tip for bad service still gets bad service next time. Ok tip, service doesn’t get any better, good tip, you’re out the money for the great service. Either way you lose. If you’re on a date you have to tip good or the date will think less of you. If people in these jobs aren’t happy then they should find a new career and be miserable with a consistent paycheck that deducts to nothin’ after taxes like the rest of us.

I think its stupid that our culture has forced us to give tips. Sure, Ill tip you if you do a good job, if i feel like it, thats why it is a tip. Its not mandatory and should not be like the US has made it. If i dont feel like giving you a tip, then i wont, end of story.

Id like to know what is proper tipping for going to an asian buffet? They serve you the drinks and you get all of your own food. I’ve heard from them that it should be a dollar a glass even refills. What do you think?

It is true that the government automatically assumes that 8% of restaurant sales are tip income. So they tax that. So, whatever the case is, you should at least leave 8% no matter what. Also, it is true that servers remember people who tips alot and those who tips next to nothing. It is also true that black people are the suckiest people when it comes to tipping. White people are the best. And that came as no surprise. Even though I’m asian, I have to admit asians aren’t usually really good tippers either. Usually hispanic people sucks too.

The prices in restyrants are very high and I think the workers need to get a better pay rate from the employers,and leave the tipping to be the customer as in most cases the sevice is terrible but you are expected to tip.
I never eat in a place that has the tip automatically put on the bill like Fridays.

I get a fair pay for doing my job,so should everyone. It is time to give good service because you have a job to do.

I served tables for years – throughout college and years after until I found a decent job in my field. When I was a server, the pay was $2.13/hr. And this was not a poor, “Mom and Pop” type establishment. This was one of the largest corporate restaurants in the nation. Employers expect that your tip money will more than make up for this meager salary. This pay was sometimes not even enough to cover the taxes that we had to pay on the money that we were tipped. I would receive “pay checks” that told me that I still owed the government money for the tips that I received. Take it from me, most kids in the service industry live and die by the change that you leave on the table. And the appropriate amount to tip in a restaurant is 15-20%. 15% for poor service to 20% for excellent service. People that refuse to tip infuriate me. You are taking rent and food money away from the individual that is bending over backwards to make sure that you have enough iced tea in your glass. Have a heart. Leave a couple bucks for these people. If you can’t afford to tip properly, then you shouldn’t be out to eat.

I disagree on the nanny’s tip 1 week pay I judge is great especialy when they are payed $450.00 and more a week.Plus yes I agree extras here and there on weeks that were harder or just thoughtful gestures ounce in a while

I agree with your friend, one gets paid a salary to do ones job, the thing is, ; we have gotten used to tipping of be tipped, that in general we get angy if we do not get a tip. Therefore, what we have been doing, is educating bad service, because people simply will not do their job at its best if they do not get a tip, and one should do the best at what one is doing because we are getting a salary for it, simply.

Tipping has been taken advantage of by the restaurant and government, although the original intent of this custom was an attitude of reward and friendship. The reality of it now is one of necessity for those in the food service industry. Conditions are such that make tips the absolute difference between making a living wage or LOSING money. This is the sad but true reality today. I tip my waitstaff generously and I`m provided the BEST and friendliest service. At my regular restaurants, my drink is WAITING for me at my table or bar I usually frequent. Yes, my server sees me get out of my vehicle in the parking lot, and goes out of his/her way to please me. When I tip I put cash in the server`s hand, plus I add enough in the credit card “tip” line to cover taxes. This always works out well for the server and myself. Many times I`ll notice that if I have a second drink with my meal, it won`t be shown on the ticket. Now wouldn`t you prefer that to crappy service and a poor attitude?

C’mon people…you might not get tips, but saying that people in the Service Industry should quit whining and find jobs with higher pay? That’s pretty ignorant. It’s the Service Industry! If you drive someone to the hospital in an ambulance, your demeanor and personality do not effect the quality of their experience, thereby dictating whether or not they will return or boost business by word-of-mouth advertising. Tips are an incentive for employees in the service industry to go the extra mile to ensure that your experience is a good one and that you will return as well as speak well to others about your experience. If the service is bad and it is due to the SERVER…then tip/don’t tip accordingly. If it was due to conditions beyond the servers control, then don’t punish the server…just don’t return. When you just look for things to complain about so you don’t have to tip, you’re just a miserable person and you shouldn’t be eating out. You should expect to pay at least 15% gratuity when you go out, so stop complaining about it. You have the option to cook at home. This is America, and as much as I love many things about America, let’s face it…we’re pretty crappy to each other unless we have an incentive to be nice. Not all of us, but a lot of us. I tip between 20 and 30%, depending on the service, and get treated very well. If you don’t tip in this range, then you don’t know what EXCELLENT service means. Return to a place that you consistently tip well at, and you receive excellent service, larger pours on drinks, seating when there is a waiting list, and even comped/no charge items. The servers speak well of you to other servers, and you end up always getting excellent service. When you are cheap, rude and whiney, for whatever sad reason is justification to you, your service will always suffer, word will spread in the establishment that you are a douche, and everyone will treat you like one. They don’t care if you don’t come back…they don’t want you to return. Besides, pissing off the people that handle your food…stupid. All the horror stories that you hear about spitting in food and MUCH worse…they’re true. Tipping well ensures your food will not be “mishandled”. If you think for one second that they don’t remember you if you’re rude or cheap, think again. Tipping helps you get better service and ensures the establishment better performance from employees. If there wasn’t tipping, think of how bad service would be for us. Do you tip at McDonald’s? Service there sucks…they don’t care. They don’t get tipped. I’ve tipped well when I had a bad experience (not the servers fault) in a restaurant so as not to punish the server, and the next time I came in, I received excellent service, as I did from that point on. If you don’t like the system, stay at home and cook.

I AM A WAITRESS AND IT UPSET ME WHEN I AM NOT TIP PROPER I GO OUT OF MY WAY TO GIVE THE BEST SERVICES THAT I CAN MY PAY SCALE IS SO LOW IF A PERSON DOSEN’T TIP ME I AM WORKING 4 FREE BECAUSE IRS GET MY HOURLY SALARY AND SOME SO PLEASE WHEN YOU GO OUT THINK ABOUT THE PERSON THAT IS DOING THE JOB HAVE A FAMILY ALSO

I think most tipping is unneeded. I have been both a waitress and a hair dresser,& barber. Never expected a tip. Doing good work was my job, and if good enough they returned.I enjoyed pleasing my customers,and my job.

When we go out, we tip 20% for good service after deducting the taxes and price of bottled alcohol. How hard is it to open a bottle of beer or bottle of overpriced wine?
It annoys me when the server asks “do you need change?” Do not assume that I don’t need change- I will tell the server “no change needed”, if necessary. And if the server takes a tip out of the change, I will ask for the change and leave half of what I would have left.
I am not cheap- I feel good about tipping well for good service.
Once our party was treated to a birthday dinner by the restaurant owner and everyone left a generous tip for the server except for my sister-in-law, who is a known cheap skate and left nothing. It was extremely embarrasing to be sitting next to her.

I would always tip at least 20% or do not visit the restaurant again. My repeat customers that do not tip well receive a little something extra in their meals. Let’s just say I rub out a gooey one into their gravy. A little man butter on their rolls, etc. I think you get my point.

I am a waitress and yes, I get paid less than $3.00 an hour. My hourly wage is set BECAUSE my employer knows that I get tipped.
When I approach a table I always assume that the people there are out to have a nice, enjoyable meal that they do not have to cook or clean up.
I do everything I can to make sure that your order is exactly the way you like it (even when your requests are ridiculously demanding),
your food comes out of the kitchen at the proper time (I don’t always know that you were going to inhale your appetizer or that the kitchen was backed up with other orders and it is going to take longer than usual),
your drinks are never empty,
you have enough napkins without having to ask,
you have gotten all the last minute items you requested (like mustard or extra dressing),
you have had enough free bread,
your free water has enough lemons in it and has been refilled for the third time!,
I have brought your burger back to the kitchen because it wasn’t cooked properly (And I didn’t cook it!),
I have notified the manager and they have given you the burger for free,
I have checked on you three separate times and gotten all the other items you realized that you needed,
I have smiled and engaged in conversation with you,
I have fought with the cooks to get everything you wanted the way you wanted it in a timely manner,
I remember you when you come back and I know what you order,
AND I have 4 other parties that I am doing the same thing for—

ALL OF THIS is why you should tip.
20% should be the minimum.

Any server that does not do all of these things does not last very long as a server and usually leaves the restaurant industry.

And YES I must tip the busser and the bartenders!

I do not get ANY sick time, vacation time or health benefits–if I cannot work I do not get paid.

If you come in 5 minutes before we close and stay for 2 hours I must stay with you. I do not have an ending time to my shift.

If you sit at my table for an hour or two (preventing anyone else from sitting there), order lots of free stuff (like bread and water) and give me 10% of your $20.00 check I have just made a total of $4.89 for the time you have been here–AND most of the time I only have one or two tables at a time.

Servers are not making mega-bucks and yes we must pay taxes on everything we make. An extra dollar for your server means A LOT to the server.

I’m reading all these comments about how I should take pity on the server, they barely get paid anything, maybe they’re having a bad day, they’re a single mom, etc…
Bottom line: if you want a tip, provide me decent service. I don’t mind if you forgot to put in my order or you’re really busy and rushed, but just have a decent attitude and check up on me once in a while. A little goes a long way. I start at 20% for mediocre service and go up from there. But if you really disappoint me, you’re not going to get much. As one writer stated “I don

I don’t know, I traveled in Europe and “tip” is already included in your bill. Maybe Japan is the same????? As a server we can add the gratuity here in the states, but most servers gamble that you will be respectful enough to tip. 10% is the minimum even with bad service. Bad service or not you had someone waiting on you and providing a service. Good service should be rewarded with 20%. It really isn’t too much to ask considering we make $2.13 an hour. While your salary stays the same or increases with a raise, ours is based on tips. If you can’t be courteous to your server and leave a little extra appreciation (20%) then stay home or hit up fast food where you don’t have to tip.

what a horrible article – where is the answer to the question? HOW MUCH SHOULD I TIP?

I don’t usually tip for pizza delivery – they are now adding $1-2 as a delivery charge. They can use that to pay the drivers, besides it’s always 45+ minutes to get something delivered!

I think they should implement a standard tip – $2 per person. Tipping based on the cost of the bill is stupid. Why should I pay more because I want to go to a place with more expensive food? It doesn’t require any extra skill to bring me a soda or steak at Ruth Chris than it does at Outback.

Wait staff are poorly paid. Some are trying to raise a family. Some really need the extra cash. I get that. But understand this, those are your problems not mine. I tip because I choose to. I do not consider the amount of the bill in my cosideration of a tip. I look at it thru a different set of eyes. I am no better or worse than the person waiting on me. So I generally keep track of how much time they spend with the table and pay them the same that I make. (Close to $20 hr) Sometimes its 70% of the bill sometimes 10%. Just because I order a skeak instead of a hamburger shouldnt affect the tip. Since I consider tip something I am doing to make me feel we are even, the better we got along the more obligated i feel to tip more. Also the little things like I bigger piec of pie or “Missing” a charge for something ordered like a diferent drink. I will generally add straight to the tip since it should be paid for. If it sounds like I am rewarding theft consider this. I dont feel sorry for someone paying $2.35 per hour.

I agree with Courtney and Charlie. Tipping can impact more than just the server. I involuntarily waited tables briefly after an unfortunate accident that forced me to take on serving to keep food on the table, but also because I liked it. But it is very stressful when you go above and beyond for a table and they claim everything was perfect and then stiff you or leave you a dollar. #69 Maybe you should ask the white server at the restaurant I dined at just last night that turned down us in his section (don’t want to say because I’m black, maybe he was tired) but he turned down a 17.00 tip. I bet he’s kicking himself right now. I believe in tipping well because of what I went through. and I have had the pleasant experience of the same treatment. I took on what was basically “rejected” and they were usually my best clients.

I’ve been working in the casino industry for 6 years and I find it very hard to believe the average dealer makes $40.20 per hour after tips of a base rate of $7.55. I’ve worked as a dealer in 4 states and the base rate was the highest I’ve ever seen at the world series at $6.50 per hour averaging close to $26.00 with tips. I personally make $4.25 an hour at my local casino and averaged $22.47 per hour with tips in 2008. Factor in that we have to pay license and uniform fees along with regular deductions and we generally make $14 $15 per hour.

I hate that I should be expected to tip everybody who provides any type of service when I am already paying for the service. I do tip my waiter/waitress 15-20%. I am not going to tip at the sonic drive thru so give me back my change and I am not tipping at Starbucks whem I am getting a cup of coffee to go. If I stand in line to get my food and throw my trash away as I leave I am not leaving a tip. I tip the pizza deliverer a few bucks and my hairdresser cause she tries very hard to work around my schedule. Tips are necessary in some situations but the whole tipping thing is getting ridiculous.

I have to agree with the bloggers that said “You shouldnt rely upon tips to boost your income.”
I also believe that for those that said “Stay home, dont eat out”, if we all stopped eating out waiters & waiters every where would be stuck without any tips (PERIOD)& most likely w/o a job- U should think before you post things like that & be grateful you customers tipping or not.

I do NOT beleive in blanket tipping.
Firstly. If no one tipped, owners would have to pay there employees just like any other bussiness or go out of bussiness.
Secondly. From experience, most waiters/waitresses KEEP/STEAL quite a lot of the tips they make. That is they DO NOT report them.
I do not get to STEAL money from my employer. It ALL gets taxed.
So quit crying about how poorly you get paid and provide the service if you want a gratuity. I do NOT get that when I perform exeptional service for my company. Many times we are lucky to receive a raise that does not cover cost of living.

I completely disagree with whoever said to-go orders deserve the same tip as sit down service. What a crock!!! I usually give only $1-2 tip for a to-go order.
As for those who say, if you cannot afford to tip then you cannot afford to dine out…..not true either. I need to eat, not pay other people’s bills. And for the record….I usually figure my tip by starting with 18% on the pre-tax amount, then round up to the next dollar. More or less depending on the quality of service!

First off let me say that I have worked in the food industry and understand the tipping aspect of it. How can you state that if you could you wouldn’t tip. These people only make less than half of minimum wage. Only recently has the minimum wage been increased. Tipping is the American Way. Whatever they do in other countries is their business. Many of the comments stated that “if you do not like the job then change it” this comment is easier said than done. Many wait staff are working their way through school and depend on tips to pay for paper to write or print on, books, pencils, pens and other items needed for school. The schedule they work and the schedule for school leaves them very little time to enjoy life.

I have a proposal for those of you who do not agree with tipping. First off if all these people who serve you were to find other jobs, as you state, then there would be noone to wait on you when you went to a restaurant. On the other hand if you want to continue to eat out, then how about we do away with tipping and raise the prices of everything by the percentage that the wait staff is not getting in pay. In other words, if the wait staff is getting 50 percent less than minimum wage, then raise the price of the items by 75 percent and pay the wait staff minimum wage.

Either way, tipping or raising prices, these people depend on tips to meet the minimum requirements for living. Something that many of you take for advantage. If you made 2.00 to 3.00 dollars per hour would you be able to make you house payments, or drive you nice cars, or even afford to buy clothes? These are questions you must ask yourself before you decide that tips are a waste of time.

I start off with a 20 percent tip before the wait staff even arrives at my table, the attitude and amount of attention will determine if it goes up or down.

One thing that everyone failed to mention was children. The wait staff that waits on a table with children deserve a better tip than tables without children. Children are messy and demanding and an extra 5 percent is acceptable because of the clean up afterwards.

I say to all who abhor tipping, get off you high horses and ride the ponies for a while and see how you like it.

i say we need to tip because I worked in
Food service for 40 Years and if It Hadn’t been for tips I couldn’t have made a living. I think you should tip more when you get good service to show the person that they are doing a good Job.
es it would be nice if we lived where the Employing would have a better pay scale.

Tips for waiters or waitresses should be 0 for bad service, 10% for OK service 15% for good service and 20% for great service and if you get a waiter that takes care of your 6 to 12 party table full time maybe 25% to 30% would be appropriate.

Tipping doesn’t stop at a restaurant folks…There are others out there that live on tips. Such as tour/drivers or guides. With a server they bring you your food/drink. For about an hour or so they fuss over you and, you leave your tip..of say 15%..Knowing that you have left a decent tip..
Now, comes the tour guide..He has you for say 4 to 6 hours..your tour cost say $40 to $100. After all this time, he has inlighten you, shown you the sights..taken care of you, and watch out to make sure you were not in harms way..Some tours can get dangerous; depending on the type. Then comes the time when your back safe and sound. You’ve been with him/her all this time..and how much should you tip.?? Some folks, you would think had track shoe’s on. For when the door is open..they run out hoping not to give the guide nothing. I say this, cause it has happen to me many times…Others are thoughtful in tipping…But, these same people wouldn’t think twice about not leaving a tip at a restaurate, where they have just spent a hour…I hope some of the people who did this; read this comment. For all those who are in the business of touring. How cheap can people possible get..Some will even clap, or shank your hand and, tell you how great you were..Sorry folks; you can’t live on a hand shake..Please show your appriecation
for a tour well done…Thanks for reading this.

I also dislike tipping, and the fact that the list of people you “have” to tip keeps getting longer and longer.

I have never tipped a mail clerk or a hotel maid, and certainly wouldn’t tip a TEACHER. I work in education, and I’ve never heard of this before, although some parents do give a token gift at Christmas, like an ornament.

I advise against giving anyone at a school baked goods. It’s up to the teacher, but our district advises against it due to “pranks” by some students in the past.